Kuwait: Expatriate tax to go to vote

A draft law seeking to impose 5% tax on expatriates’ remittances was approved by the National Assembly’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee on 16 April. The bill on international money transfers was sent up to the assembly for approval. The controversial measure had been opposed in the assembly’s Legal and Legislative Committee and by the government and International Monetary Fund on the basis that it is illiberal and would hurt the economy. The Financial and Economic Affairs Committee countered that it was within the bounds of the constitution and should be allowed to continue.